Electric-light bulb



A. A. FLORY.

ELECTRIC LIGHT BULB.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10. I9I8.

Patented Apr. 4, 19.22.

9 11494 for ANDREW A... FLQRY, GE GRAND BIDS, MICHIGAN.

anaemic-arena sane.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4. 1922.

Application filed may 10, 1918. Serial No. 233,652.

To all whom at may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW A. FLORY, a

' citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-LightBulbs; and it do hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an electric light bulb, being especiallydirected to a new and improved construction of light bulb for use inheadlights of motor vehicles. In vehicles of this character, it is nowalmost universally the practice to provide some means vention to providean electric light bulb which may be operated so as to eliminate themajor portion of the rays of light which are normally directed upwardlyabove the road and which are liable to blind the driver of anapproaching vehicle, yet at the same time keep substantially all of therays of light which fall on the road in front of the ve hicle, said bulbwhen the vehicle is running on a clear road being operable to give afull and complete light without elimination of any of the rays. To thisend I- have produced the construction shown in the accompanying'drawing,in which,

Fig. l is a vertical section through a headlight equipped with my newconstruction of light bulb.

Figs. 2 and 3 are side elevations of light bulbs embodying my invention,the same difiering slightly in detail of position of light formed ofglass, projects inwardly into the bulb from the neck and terminates ina. shield 4 which, in the construction shown, is of trough-like form,concaved on its upper side and integral with the post 3. This shield 1sof opaque or translucent glass in the construction shown, though it isto be understood that any other suitable material may be used to makethe shield so long as it is practically impervious to the passage oflight rays.

An upper filament 5 lies directly above the shield 4 and between theupturned sides thereof, the wires forthe filament passing backw'ardlythrough the st 3 and one grounding on the sleeve 2, while the otherleads to a suitable contact 6 at the rear end of the neck of the bulb. Asecond light filament 7 is disposed below the shield, the wires thereofleading back through the post 3, one of the same grounding on the sleeve2 and the other leading to a suitable wntact 8 similarly positioned atthe rear end of the neck of the bulb. It is to be understood that whenthe neck of the bulb is inserted in a suitable socket, such as used inthe headlights of motor vehicles, contacts 6 and Sam brought intoelectrical connection with circuit wires 9 and 10 which supply thecurrent to the filaments. The headlight with which t-he'bulb is used maybe of any preferred construction including a curved reflector 11 on theinside thereof.

Vith a bulb of the character described used with a reflecting headlight,either or both filaments 4 and 5 may be made incandescent by closingproper switches in the separate circuits supplying said filaments. Forfull driving light both filaments are made incandescent and the rays oflight therefrom are projected ahead from the reflector 11 in the usualmanner. On meeting a vehicle, however, the circuit in which the filament7 is interposed is interrupted by operating the properswitch, and light,rays are then given oil by the upper filament 5 only. These rays go tothe upper part of the reflector 11, be-.

mg in greater part reflected ahead and downwardly onto the road ahead ofthe vehicle. 'Oniy a very small portion of the light re Heated comesdirectly into the range of vision of the driver of an approachinvehicle,

and all of the blinding glare norma 1y caused by rays of light passingfrom the filament to the lower portion of the reflector and thenceupwardly and ahead into the eyes of the hicle.

"Iii Figs. 2 and 3 I have shown the shield 4 and filaments?) and 7 asdifferently positioned in the bulb, the construction shown in Fig. 2having the filaments projecting in front of the post 3 equal distancesand '10- cated each the same dlstance above and below the horizontalcenter line of the bulb.-

In Fig. 3 the upper filament is extended tarther ahead of the post 3 andis positioned farther away from the horizontal center line of the bulbthan the lower bulb. This is a preferred construction, but the inventioncontemplates all such equivalent modifications.

I have shown and described a preferred form of my invention and onewhich can be easily applied to the various standard types of motorvehicle headlights now in use. The construction is relatively sim le andthe bulbs can be manufactured andinstalled at low cost. Many changes inminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing frommy invention and, accordingly, I do not wish to be limited to the exactspecific structure disclosed, but consider myself entitled to allmodifications which fall within the scope of the appended claimsdefining the invention.

I claim:

1. An electric lamp including a bulb, a

shield of light ray intercepting material projecting into the bulb atone end thereof, and separate filaments located at opposite sides of theshield and terminating short of the end thereof, said filaments beingadapted to illumine different portions of the bulb and the said shieldbeing adapted to intercept rags of light from one filament when the oter filament is unlighted, and separate electrical connections carried bythe bulb for enabling the filaments to and simultaneously lighted.

be separately 2. In a light bulb, upper and lower light filamentsadapted to be separately lighted, and a member of trough-like formlocated within the bulb between the filaments and within which the upperfilament is positioned, said member being of light ray interceptingmaterial, substantia ly as described.

An electric lamp designed to be located in substantially a horizontalposition and including a bulb having a neck, a post projecting inwardlyfrom the neck into the bulb, a shield extending substantially horizontalfrom the post, said shield being formed of light ray interceptingmaterial, separate filaments carried by the post and positionedrespectively above and below said shield and adapted to illuminedifferent portions of the said bulb, said shield being adapted tointercept the rays of one filament when the other filament is unlighted,and separate electrical connections carried by the bulb and connectedwith the filaments to enable the same to be independently andsimultaneously lighted.

4. An electric lamp including a light bulb designed to be arranged insubstantially horizontal position and having a neck, a glass postextending into the bulb from said neck, a glass light ray interceptingshield extending from the post into the bulb and formed integral withthe said post, separate filaments carried by the .ost and located aboveand below the shiel and adapted to illumine different portions of thebulb, said shield being adapted to intercept the rays of light from onefilament when the other filament is unlighted, and separate electricalconnections carried by and extending into the bulb for enabling thefilaments to be simultaneously and independently lighted.

'5. An electric lamp including a light bulb designed to be disposed insubstantially a horizontal position, a light my interceptin shieldextending into the bulb at one en thereof, two separate filaments ofsubstantially equal lighting capacity located at 0pposite sides of bulbbeing provided with separate electrical connertions for enabling thefilaments to be simultaneously and independently lighted. In testimonywhereof I affix my signature.

. ANDREW A. FLORY.

the shield and adapted to I illumine different portions of the bulb,said

